Pison protrudens Pulawski, 2018

Pulawski, Wojciech J., 2018, A Revision of the Wasp Genus Pison Jurine, 1808 of Australia and New Zealand, New Guinea, and the Pacific Islands (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae), Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 65, pp. 1-584 : 357-360

Pison protrudens Pulawski , species nova

Figures 861 -872.

NAME DERIVATION.– Protrudens, Latin for protruding, with reference to the female clypeus of this species.

RECOGNITION. – Pison protrudens has three submarginal cells, the second recurrent vein interstitial with the second intersubmarginal vein or nearly so, tegula partly impunctate and asetose, and setae appressed on tergum I. The gaster is all black, but the apical depressions of terga are brown and the tergal setae are golden in fresh specimens, forming golden fasciae on the apical depressions; the tibiae are ferruginous (the fore- and midtibiae can be partly black in the female). In addition, the setae of the lower gena are straight, curved apically, nearly erect, shorter than the midocellar diameter, those on the scutum are appressed, and those of the propodeal dorsum are unusually short, not concealing the integument and not extending over the lateral propodeal carina ( Fig. 865 ); the metapleural sulcus is not costulate between the dorsal and ventral metapleural pits; the mesopleural punctures in many specimens are more than one diameter apart anteroventrally.

The female can be recognized, in addition to the above characters, by an elongate middle clypeal lobe, the free margin of the lamella conspicuously prominent, roundly triangular, the clypeal surface markedly convex above the lamella, and the trimmal mandibular carina with a preapical tooth ( Fig. 861 ). The preapical tooth is also present in P. decipiens , P. aridum , and P. impressiventre , but in all three the clypeal lamella is less prominent, and the setae of the propodeal dorsum extend beyond the lateral carina. Also, in P. decipiens and P. impressiventre the setae are erect on the scutum and sinuous on the lower gena.

The male is characterized by the presence of an unsculptured, glabrous area before the apical depressions of sterna III-VI. This feature is shared with P. impressiventre , and many P. decipiens , but in P. protrudens the apical margin of sternum VI is concave, and sternum VII unsculptured mesally. The other two species differ in having the setae erect on the scutum and those of the propodeal dorsum extending beyond the lateral carina, and sternum VII minutely punctate. Additionally, in P. decipiens the apical margin of sternum VI is straight or nearly so, and P. impressiventre has a well-defined, round apicomedian impression on each sterna IV-VI which is absent in P. protrudens . The upper.interocular distance slightly larger than the lower interocular distance is a subsidiary recognition feaure.

DESCRIPTION.– Frons dull, finely punctate, punctures less than one diameter apart. Labrum not emarginate. Anteromedian pronotal pit transversely elongate, about as long as midocellar diameter. Scutum not foveate along flange, without longitudinal ridges adjacent to posterior margin; scutal punctures averaging about one diameter apart, interspaces unsculptured except for sparse microscopic punctures. Tegula slightly enlarged. Mesopleural punctures less than one diameter apart near center, in many specimens more than one diameter apart anteroventrally ( Fig. 864 ), but posteriorly of episternal sulcus; interspaces unsculptured except for sparse micropunctures. Postspiracular from most angles in male (except lamella); setae of lower gena suberect, straight except curved apically, shorter than midocellar diameter, those of the propodeal dorsum unusually short, not extending over the lateral propodeal carina ( Fig. 865 ).

Head, thorax, propodeum, and gaster black; mandible ferruginous mesally; apical depression of terga brown. Femora in female black, but hindfemur ferruginous apically in most specimens and all ferruginous in some, tibiae and tarsi ferruginous or fore- and midtibiae partly black; in male femora, tibiae, and tarsi ferruginous, or forefemur black basally (fore- and midfemora black dorsally in several specimens).

♀.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.82-0.84 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 1.5 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 1.3 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 0.88-0.90 × distance between eye notches. Middle clypeal lobe protruding, free margin of lamella prominently, roundly triangular ( Fig. 861 ). Dorsal length of flagellomere I 2.0-2.3 × apical width, of flagellomere IX 1.3 × apical width. Mandible: trimmal carina with preapical tooth shortly beyond midlength. Length 10.3-10.4 mm; head width 2.8-2.9 mm.

♂.– Upper interocular distance equal to 1.02-1.06 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 2.0-2.3 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 1.2-1.3 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 0.90-0.92 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella acutely angulate ( Fig. 862 ). Dorsal length of flagellomere I 1.7-2.3 × apical width, of flagellomere X 1.1-1.3 × apical width. Sterna III-VI with shiny, unsculptured and asetose areas before apical depressions ( Fig. 867). Apical margin of sternum VI concave; sternum VII unsculptured mesally. Sternum VIII with glabrous, round, basomedian area, shallowly, roundly emarginate apically ( Fig. 868), apicolateral corner broadly rounded; in lateral view: Fig.869. Genitalia: Figs. 870, 871. Length 5.2-8.5 mm; head width 1.9-2.8 mm.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION (Fig. 872).– New South Wales, Northern Territory, South Australia, Western Australia

RECORDS.– HOLOTYPE: ♂, AUSTRALIA: New

South Wales: 87 km E Wilcannia at 31°42.8ʹS

144°08.6ʹE, 23 Dec 2011, V. Ahrens and W.J.

Pulawski (SAM).

PARATYPES: AUSTRALIA: New South Wales :

87 km E Wilcannia at 31°42.8ʹS 144°08.6ʹE,

V. Ahrens and W.J. Pulawski, 21 Dec 2011 (5 ♀,

2 ♂, CAS ) and 23 Dec 2011 (23 ♀, 5 ♂, CAS) .

Northern Territory: Buchanan Highway 31 km

SSE Victoria Higway at 15°57ʹ37ʺS 130°38ʹ20ʺE,

14-15 June 2001, M.E. Irwin and F.D. Parker (1 ♂,

CAS); Gregory National Park at 15°36ʹ43ʺS

130°24ʹ08ʺE, 6-12 June 2001, M.E. Irwin, F.D.

Parker, and C. Lambkin (1 ♂, CAS); Keep River

National Park at 16°06ʹ47ʺS 130°25ʹ24ʺE, 15 June FIGURE 872. Collecting localities of Pison protrudens 2001, M.E. Irwin, F.D. Parker, and C. Lambkin (1 ♂, Pulawski, sp. nov.

CAS). South Australia: Balcanoona in Gammon

Ranges National Park , 9 Jan 1998, R. Leys and R.V. Hensen (1 ♀, SAM) ; Calperum Station 16 km N Renmark at 34°02.9ʹS 140°42.2ʹE, V. Ahrens and W.J. Pulawski , 2 Dec 2010 (1 ♀, CAS) and 4 Dec 2010 (2 ♂, CAS) ; 79 km NW Renmark at 33°31ʹS 140°24ʹE, 8 Nov – 12 Dec 1995, K.R. Pullen (1 ♀, ANIC) ; Wilpena in Flinders Ranges National Park at 31°31.7ʹS 138°36.2ʹE, V. Ahrens and W.J. Pulawski , 20 Dec 2010 (3 ♂, CAS) , 22 Dec 2010 (1 ♀, CAS) , 27 Dec 2010 (6 ♂, CAS) ; 3 km ENE Wilpena at 31°31.0ʹE 138°36.6ʹE, V. Ahrens and W.J. Pulawski , 26 Jan 2011 (3 ♀, 3 ♂, CAS) , 27 Jan 2011 (5 ♀, 4 ♂, CAS) ; 34 km S Wilpena , 4 Jan 1980, R.M. Bohart (4 ♀, UCD) . Western Australia: 9.5 km SE Banjiwarn Homestead at 27°42ʹS 121°37ʹE, 22-18 Feb 1980, T.F. Houston et al. (1 ♀, WAM) ; Kathleen Valley , [no day or month] 1962, T. Moriarty (1 ♀, WAM) .

Figures

FIGURES 861-866. Pison protrudens Pulawski, sp. nov. (861) Female clypeus and mandibles; (862) Male clypeus and mandibles; (863) Female gena; (864) Female mesopleuron in slightly inclined view showing sparsely punctate anteroventral portion; (865) Propodeal dorsum of female; (866) Female gaster in dorsal view.